The widower of an Indian dentist who died in hospital in Ireland after suffering a miscarriage said he has faith in the inquest to establish the truth.

Savita Halappanavar was 17 weeks pregnant when admitted to University Hospital Galway on October 21 last year and died a week later from suspected septicaemia, days after she lost her baby.

The 31-year-old's widower, Praveen, maintains that the couple repeatedly requested a termination but were refused because the foetal heartbeat was present.

Arriving for the first day of evidence, Mr Halappanavar said the last few days had been difficult as the couple's baby had been due on March 30 - the day he was handed a health service report into his wife's death.

"We have faith in the inquest, so hopefully we will get the answers," he said.

"The big question is why was Savita treated the way she was not supposed to be? We just want to know why she died."

Opening the inquest in the packed courtroom, Dr MacLoughlin extended his sympathies and condolences to Mr Halappanavar and his family in India and vowed to undertake the inquiry with respect, courtesy and dignity in memory of his wife.

He told the jury of six men and five women that the inquest was a fact-finding exercise, with no prosecution or defence.

He said more than 60 statements, including some from hospital staff, gardai, pathologists, a consultant obstetrician and a microbiologist had been taken, but not all would appear as witnesses.

"Savita died in tragic circumstances," Dr MacLoughlin said.

"The family of Savita, in the presence of her husband, have suffered a very traumatic experience."

The coroner asked for sensitivity, time and understanding to be shown by everyone as if they themselves had been bereaved in similar circumstances.

Mr Halappanavar was listed as the fourth witness to give evidence.

As Mr Halappanavar prepared to give evidence, the coroner revealed that the widower had called him from India while attending his wife's funeral to ask him to investigate her death.

He gave his statement to gardai two days after he returned to Ireland amid fears that his memory would fade, the inquest heard.

Mr Halappanavar read his statement to the court.

He said he moved to Ireland in 2006 and a year later he married Savita in a Hindu ceremony in India.

When she moved to Ireland they travelled around the country.

"She found Ireland so peaceful compared to the hustle and bustle of India," he told the court.

Mr Halappanavar said the couple had always planned to have a baby in 2012.

"It worked out well that Savita had completed her exams," he said.

"When we found out she was pregnant in July 2012 we were delighted and she rang her friends for advice on what to do next."

He said his wife was in excellent health, athletic, did yoga, and had no need to visit a GP before her pregnancy.

Mr Halappanavar said when the couple went for their first scan at the hospital in September 2012 they were told their baby was due on March 30 and that the pregnancy was doing well.

"Savita shed tears of happiness when she saw the baby on the monitor," he said.

Mr Halappanavar said from the outset of the pregnancy his wife had lower back pain, which she had suffered from since college and from standing for long periods of time while she worked as a dentist in India.

His wife's parents visited from India and held a baby shower to celebrate, but her pain got so bad that she went back to the hospital on September 20.

Her blood pressure, heart rate and urine were checked.

"The doctor said there was nothing to worry about and sent us back home," Mr Halappanavar said.

"Savita had tears in her eyes when she heard the baby was OK," he added.

"She was anxious and was relieved when she heard the heartbeat was OK."